Saturday, 27 January 2018

President Mnangagwa says his Government will do everything
possible to assist investors keen on starting businesses in Zimbabwe and has
urged those interested to take the first mover advantage to explore the
abundant investment opportunities in the country. The President said Zimbabwe
was now a vision every progressive person wanted to be associated with given
ongoing economic reforms and innumerable virgin investment opportunities it
presented.

He made the call at a luncheon attended by scores of Swiss
and international businesspeople, hosted by the Africa Swiss Business Circle in
Zurich, Switzerland, where he attended the 48th edition of the World Economic
Forum (WEF). The luncheon was sponsored by Quantum Global. Investors at the
high-profile Zurich meeting included billionaire Mr Urs Shwarzenbach, a private
investor and owner of the Dolder Grand Hotel.

He is based in the United Kingdom and his worth is
estimated at between $1,5 billion and $2 billion. Mr Shwarzenbach owns real
estate across the world, but principally in Switzerland, Morocco, Australia and
Scotland. Also in attendance were Glencore Global Head of Oil, Alex Beard,
Lonrho Group chief operations officer Bruno Sidler, Swiss Re managing director
Bruce Hodkinson, ABB head of global relations Tobias Becker and Swiss Africa
Business Circle managing director Michael Rheinegger.

President Mnangagwa encouraged investors to visit Zimbabwe
to get first-hand experience of the limitless investment and business
opportunities and an insight into areas they would want the Government to
address.

“(Zimbabwe) is a greenfield, a virgin economy. If an area
is virgin, many people would want to go there. So I encourage all investors to
come and taste the pudding. The country is open for business,” the President
said. He clarified that this was not merely a nice message Zimbabwe was putting
out to the world, but that it would be backed by actions.

“We may say nice things, but on the ground you find that there
are issues that need clarification. We will direct them to correct authorities.
If you find that a door is closed, a situation which was common in the past
dispensation, come to my office and I will open that door,” he said,
emphasizing that his Government had adopted a zero tolerance to corruption.

He noted that the work ethic in the new administration had
changed. “In the first days, staff would find me at work. But that has changed
now as nowadays I find them there.” President Mnangagwa also highlighted the
point that Zimbabwe was now open for business and pledged to decisively deal
with corruption; a cancer partly responsible for problems the country is
facing.

He said while the country was ranked low on the global
corruption index, his administration’s “zero tolerance” to the vice would see
Zimbabwe in a significantly improved position in the next rakings.

The President called on investors to look at tourism, which
is considered one of the low hanging fruits towards economic growth. “Victoria Falls
is very beautiful and she faces Zimbabwe. If you want to see her from the back,
go to Zambia, but if you want to see her from the front, you need to come to
Zimbabwe.” President Mnangagwa has been on a charm offensive to woo investors
as his administration seeks to do business with global investors by ending
years of isolation.

According to Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Dr John
Mangudya who presented on the investment opportunities in Zimbabwe, the country
has vast tourist attractions ranging from natural to man-made historical sites.
Opportunities in the sector were in the hotel and catering industry, safari and
tour operations, gaming and construction of international convention centres.

The meeting in Zurich concluded the President’s engagements
in Switzerland, which he used to maximum potential for engagements and
interactions with business and political leaders and investors.

About his experience in Davos at the 48th World Economic
Forum, President Mnangagwa said he had interacted with a lot of delegates some
of them a top official from the United States (John Negroponte, former deputy
secretary of state).

“One of the US top staffers came to see me and I gave him a
good message. In my interview with (Richard) Quest… there was a push for me to
comment on what (US) President Trump had said in relation to Africans and
select countries.

“Even the BBC interviewer asked the same question. Of
course the African Union (whose summit I am attending from tomorrow) put out
its stance, same as SADC but I am saying this should not constrain relations.
We are offering an environment where all investors can come and make money.”

He added that Zimbabwe’s re-engagement with Western
countries was on course as seen by the excitement shown on his inauguration
when world leaders including British Prime Minister Theresa May and Chinese
President Xi Ping who immediately dispatched envoys. Herald